An Overheating Graphics Card

Q: My ASUS EN8800 GTS graphics card overheats. I have a quad-core Intel processor, an ASUS PW5W DH Deluxe motherboard, and an Acer AL1914 19-inch monitor. I am running the ASUS utility SmartDoctor with all features enabled. The problem is that the system easily overheats when running games.

Should all features not be enabled? I get a blue screen when I start up the computer for the first time and then have to reboot two or three times before everything seems to be fine.-JC Kruger

A: If your system is crashing on boot, I suggest just disabling or uninstalling ASUS SmartDoctor and seeing if the system behaves itself after that. Afterward you can try reinstalling SmartDoctor and re-enabling features, one at a time. Of course, you must be sure you also have the latest nVidia drivers for the 8800 GTS.

In general, I suggest not using this type of tweaking utility if you run into any problems. Though it’s nice to have tools that let you adjust clock frequencies, fan speeds, and other features, these utilities also make it quite easy to create major system instabilities.

Joel Durham Jr. has loved computers, technology, and gaming since he was a kid, first enjoying the wonders of the Atari 2600 and later indulging in the fabulous graphics of the Commodore 64. His lust for all things technical drove him to eventually seek employment: he landed a job at Computer Concepts, a Rochester-based PC consulting and repair firm, where the company president took Joel on as his apprentice. Within a year, Joel was running the service shop, installing networks for clients, and building systems...
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